Means for crating articles for shipment



Feb. 20,' 1923. j 1,446,052'. v y. A. D-. LIGHTNER ET AL. MEANS FOR CRAHNG ARTICLES Fon SHIPMENT.

`FILD JAN. 30, 1919. -2 SHE-ETS--SHEET l- Feb. 20, 1923. 1,446,052. A. D. LIGHTNER ETAL. e

' MEANS Foa CRANNG ARTICLES Fo SHIPMENT.

FILED JAN. 30, 1919. 2 SHEETS-#SHEET Z.

miimhhh IN VEN TORS 'ATTORNEY f scription.

'v ment.

Patented Feb. 20, 1923...v

. UNITED sr ARTHUR D. LIGHTNER ANDMEDWARD HOLMES,` orvronnno, omo', Assrelifoas 'ro THE 'WILLYs-ovERLAND COMPANY, kor romano, omo, A eoiaroaerronor onionA` y:intens non CEAT-Ine ARTICLES ron SHIPMENT Application led January 30, 1919'. i Serial No.. 274,o82.j l'

VTo all lwhom t may concern.'

.Be 1t known that we, ARTHUR D. LIGHT.- NER and EDWARD HOLMES, residing at Toledo, in the county -of- Lucas vand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefull `Improvements in Means for Crating yArt-wr cles forvShipmenof which we decla-re thefollowing to be a full, clear, andl exact demeans for crating articles for shipment, and

is more particularly adaptedto be used'inV connection with the shippingL ofautomobile en 'nes.

ne object of the'invention is to provide' a system of crating by means of which two or more engines may be arranged in super,

posed position within a freight car for ship- Another object of thisy invention is lto provide a system of crating which willaccommodate` engines of different types and per mit of their arrangement together in the car regardless of the relative numbers of each j type. v

A further object of this invention 1s to provide a system of crating wherein a plu;

rality of similar crate units are employed, all of which areidentical in construction.`

Further object of this invention relates to economies of manufacture and details of construction as will'hereinafter appear from the detailed description to follow.

The objects ofthe invention are accomplishedin one instance byk the devices and means described in the following specification, but it is evident that the same may be varied widely without ,departing from the scope of the invention` as pointed out in the appended claims.

structure constituting one embodiment of theinvention, which may be the prelferred,ris illustrated in the accompanyingk drawings forming apart thereof in which: Fig. I is a side elevational view of a pair of crate-units, each supporting an automobile engine, and separated from each other by a spacingvunit.

Afurther use.

Fig. HI is a perspective viewoa y. y

is )supportedfatfour points carried thereby."I y

. Fig-.KV isa top plany view offa crate unit lshowingfthe manner of securing a three point supported engine-thereon. j Fg. Vlfis a vertical sectionalview taken-1 along the line VI-Vllof Fig-L I; l y Fig. VIIis a perspective view of the spaoy ing unit.` 'i

n ishighiy desi-rangiert@shipping'Ofen automobileengine to provide -asystern of cratingby which one engine may4 be .superl 6.5A

posed above the other creasing the capacityoi each car. y Illloreover,y

the.v formation ofl a system l of oratingby means of which two or more engines may be superposed upon each other,` andthe `crates securely attached together, provides a `ready and yconvenient manner of handling Vthe en gines in loading lthe :same i car and unloading- `themtherefrom. "Furthermorein the shipment of automobile en 75 gines it has been the practice to enclose each v enginefin afcover'ed box and place one b oX above another {in the car,but inl usingthis method the boX'es soon become broken and can rarely be used more than twice by reason 8O l y i of the fact thatthe parts are sci-arranged' that in order to properly hold an engine nails or screws must be employed for` securing the parts fof each box together, andin removing the engines theboxes are` consequently broken so that they are unfit-for In the form 'of crate shown herewith an enginel can be rmlysecured in each crate without attaching removable v covers or strips tothe Vcrate andwithout the use of any securing means which tends` to permanently injure the `crate or impair its further usefulness as a carrier. 3 y

, yIn the drawings, similarfreferencecharacters refer-to corresponding parts through: l ytheseveralviews. i l f Nr jorricef;jf 7 s a. f

into the ,freight f 12 connect the 'front ln Figures l and ll there are shown two similar crates each containing an engine and separated by a spacing unit to which each crate is securely fastened, the one crate being turned through 180 degrees relative to the other crate.

Each crate comprises a pair oi longitudinally extending horizontally positioned base members 10. A vertically positioned side frame member 11 rests upon the upper sur- :tace of yeach of the horizontally positioned members 10 y extending in va direction longitudinally thereof, andv is firmly secured to the corresponding base member in any desired manner as by means of' wood'serews (not shown). fr pair oil transversely eX- tending Vvertically positioned end members and rear ends respectively oi: the vertically positioned longitudinally extending members 11, these parts being firmly secured to each other by means or angle plates 13 connectingl to the end portionso the several members and beingsecured thereto by wood screws or bolts 141- in such a manner as toform an upright boi;- lilre structure. rlhe box-like structure thus formed rests upon and'is securely supported by the horizontally positioned side members 10. i s- Vertically extending base members 15 are positioned at the corners ot'k the completed structure,` cach of said members being adapted to be secured lirmly to the under surfaces of the horizontally extending members 10 in any suitable manner, as by wood screws or bolts, and being additionally secured thereto by a plurality of angle brackets 1G, each of which is adapted to be secured to the side faces of the base members and the lower surtace or one ori the horizontally extending members 10. The angle vbraclrets 16 are secured to the corresponding members which they arer adapted to connect by means ot wood screws or other suitable fastening means 17. @ne end olf the box-like portion ofthe crate is r ised above the upper suriace of the remaining portions of the boxlik'e' structure by means or a plurality or' blocking strips 18 which are adapted to be secured to the upper surfaces or the vertically positioned members 11' and one -end member 12 in any desired manner so as to form with said members a rigid box-like structure.

A pair oit metal bearing members 19 are secured to the upper surfaces ottwo or the members 18 at opposite sides of the boxlilre frame, these plates being firmly secured to the' frame by means or wood screws or the like 2O and being providedv with vthreaded opening` 21 therein. Corresponding bearing plates 22 are similarly positioned at opposite sides of the other end ofthe boX-lile frame. A similar bearing'platc 23 sccured to the center portion of the upper tace '1c/iliona@ of one of the transversely extending vertically positioned members i2 in any suitable manner as by wood screws or bolts 24. These end plates are provided with threaded openings E25 similar to those formed in the bearing` plates positioned upon the sides ot the bon-like structure. y y

i spacing unit 26 adapted to separate and to be secured to two crates comprises a pair of vertically positioned side members 27 and a pair or vertically positioned end members 28. l'lhese side and end members are firmly secured to each other for the purpose ot forming a box-lilre structure, open at both top and bottom7 by means angular plates 29 adapted at the corners otthe box-lille spar:

and secured to the-side and end mem b oy @pento be positioned means wood screws or bolts 30. mes 3i-are termed in thelower edge of the side members 27 of they spacing units and the lower edges ot each spacing member are' provided with a pluralityv o1" bearing portions adapted to restr upon corresponding poi-tions of the uneven upper surface `oeac'n crate unit in such manner that the various side and end will lie in the samefplane the corresponding side and end portionsoi the corresponding crate unit when the spacing unit is properly i positioned upon the upper surface oi' the crate unit. 'lhe upper suri'ace ci the crate unit is so formed that when the spac-4 ing unit is properly positioned upon a crate unit the upper surfaces or the spacii'ig-unit will all lie-in a plane parallel'to tlieplane upon which the lower surfaces ot the supporting blocks ol" the crate unit rest.

il plurality or angular brackets are positioned upon opposite sides oie. each crate unit, being secured to the outer side oi the bloc-lis 15 by wood screws or other suitable fastening means 231i', each ot said bracl, being provided with a horizontally extending angular portion within which is i'orined an open ended slotl 3G. 'l-i plurality oi? )rac-nots 3? are securedv to 'the opposite si l spaces ci each spacingmember5 by wood means Sie? in such a manner as to regis-ter withthe ''\rresponding brackets 33 secured Vlnaclrets being adapted to vco-operate with corresponding brackets 42 carrying eye-bolts or' a plurality oii Y portions olfv the spacing unit rows or other suitable'fastening lill;

llo

43,? similarl 'in -V all `respects to .the brackets 37V` and 'eye'.-b'olts 39` above f described, and

positioned Y uponfr--the side f and "end portions of each spacing unit insucha manner as to i be' adaptedv to cooperater'withf the said brailrets il secured to fthezicrate4 unit .which is positioned belowrtha said spacing-"unit by means of this construction, the several crate units "and the eorresp'onding spacing units inserted theresbetweeni mayfbelfirmly secured to each other in such a manner as to hold the several parts securely togetherand form'. f

and into the bearing plates'secured tothe y upper surfaces of the crates.

rality of engines have been secured in position within correspondingv crates the several cratesmay be assembledy together in pairs, with a spacing unit interposed between each pair and the upper and lower crate units be lirmly secured to the intermediate spac-iy ing unit by means of the brackets and eye-A bolts previously described in such ya manner as to firmly clamp the several parts of the structure together so asl to form a iirm and u rigid structure. l

The engines'thus crated `may be readily` removed from place to place-by inserting an elevating truck beneath the lower crate unit and raising the same until the supporting blocks 15 are removed fifomengagement with the floor, when the structure as a whole 'may be transported to a. freight carand properly positioned therein whereupon the 4 truck may be removed in the usual manner. ItV

will be seen thatl the crates are identical 'in construction, while the spacing units are also substantially identical, which facilitates the assembly of a pair of crates anda spacing unit vto .form a single rigid structure."

By employing this method .of vcrating engines for shipment not only is it possibleto double the capacity of each car, but a con-,-

sidcrable amount of time is saved in transporting these engines to the car in that'several engines may be carried by a single truck at one time. l It will be apparent that although we have discloseda shipping unit comprising two crates and a single spacing unit athird crate may be added if desired separated from one of the other crates by a second spacing member. v l y While we have shown and described in considerable detail a specific embodiment of` our invention, it is to be understood that When a pluthiis showing' and description is illustrative only andxfor thevpurpose of rendering our invention more clear,l and that .'we. do., not regard the invention as limited-tof` the ,de-.1; tails of construction illustratedor described, `nor .any of` them, except inl-so* Itar as .we

have .includedy such limitations ivithilnf'tlic,"r

termsq of .the 'following claims, in. which it is our intention to claim all novelty inherent L in @our invention broadly as, well. as `spe-` Vcitically- Y, '1 .Y 3 What we claim` as new and desire to secure e v by Letters 4Patent is l.' In a` device of pair of kcrates of'siinilar construction'each adapted to supportan engine, a spacing unitv having upper v,and lower surfacesshaped to conform to the lowery and upper faces of thel `cra'teswvhereby the said lspacing unit may be interposed between tliefpair of crates for s acino thema art-land meanscarried bv p b 7 of similar crates, a spacing unit adapted to the class descrbedia i Vthe crates and spacingunit respectivelyor' I f lsecuring thev saine together. i i v 2.I `In a device of the class; described, a pair i e be yinterposed vbetween said crates and means,

for firmly securing said spacing unitto @ach ofs'aid' crates. i v i, l y

3. Ina device of theclassdescribed, a

a spacing unit pair .of similar, crates,

adapted to be interposed between said crates to space the same vertically from "each other i 'n ,o and means `for clamping said spacing unit'y to said'y crates.

4. In a `device. of the class described;'av pair `ot similar engine supporting crates, unit provided with upper and a spacing lower'v surfaces mating with'the lower and?A upper surfaces respectively`V of adjacent crates andv means for detachably securing the crates and spacing iinittogether.l

5. In adevice 'of 'theclass described,"a,y I j' plurality of engine cratesyof lidentical construction,` a spacing unit` provided vwith upper and lower surfaces -inating with thelower and upper surfaces of adjacent crates ,'respectively, and means for clamping the` crates and spacing unit together.

6. lIn 4a device of theclass described, jai pairiof .crates -of similar construction' var-L ,rangedA in superposed position, a spacing unit betweenadj acent surfaces of adjoining crates andr means for rigidly securing the i crates and spacing unit together.

7. In a device of the class described, a

. plurality of crate units arranged in super-l posed position, means for securing an engine to each crate, laspacingunit interposed'between the adjacent surfaces of adjoining crates, and means for securingthe crates and spacing unit together.

8. In adeviceof the class described," a i plurality 'of crate units arranged in super-l posed position, -a spacing -unit interposed between the adjacent surfaces of adjoining ics sponding bra'ekets fer securing the crates and spacing unit together.

,9. 'En a device of' the dass deseribecL- a. pharehy of amie umts arranged in super- ;esed position.' a spacing unit interposed between the adjacent suraces of. adjoining crates, a. plurality .of registering brackets Lemme,

v ai'ious unit-s, eyefbels piyQi-iagllyv. n O to one of 'each pairfiiegistermgbreketse aiicmezms for zitfaehing the, eye-belts@ the other bracket of each Rain fori' seeuing the,`

crates and Spacing unibftgejher.

In sestimmywhereof; Wey iix'eur signatures.

ABLIHUR D. LIGHTNER, @weissem/gime: 

